[Previous entry: "We shall see if that gets done..."] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Neejer"]

07/19/2005 Entry: "Potty pott"

Potter watch -- chapter ii

The second chapter is much shorter than the first. The climax of the chapter, the escape of the snake, I believe was saved for the second film for good reasons of continuity.

And in this one, we further explore the cruelty of Harry's foster family--the nature of which is far from criminal, yet quite harsh and exaggerated.

Note that the parents dole out no physical abuse--that's Dudley's department. This is important, because a thumping from from a sibling or a peer, while being still wrong, is nowhere near as bad as being hit by a grownup. Why is that? What does this do for the story, and for us, the reader?

No, the parents are cruel simply because they hate Harry. He sleeps in a cupboard. He is blamed for everything. Still, the intensity of their cruelty is one that a child can still digest. There's more "you are nothing but trouble" but none of the "I wish you were never born". So the parents are stupid assholes, but not monsters. So?

Harry is stuck in a family of jerks, but it's nowhere near Mommy Dearest or Heeeear's Johnny. So any reader, a child or someone who can remember his childhood, can very easily identify with our protagonist.

Still, one of the reasons why Harry is so hated by his foster parents is because he is often saved from trouble by magic (still not mentioned in name) whenever someone tries to get him down. But the nature of those magical episodes are not of his own doing, rather they are the fulfillment of fantasies of those who have been wronged. He is chased by bullies and disappears, only to reappear on the chimney. He gets his head shaved, but the next day his hair has already grown back.

The author has quite cleverly painted a picture of the innocent justice served on behalf of a helpless unassuming child. Just like you or I.

Another thing which came to me as I read this chapter was the realization that I would have had no problem reading this book when I was a third grader. This is easy reading.

And as I read to the end of my photocopy of chapter two--the next two pages were also there--I just a bout chewed my foot off wanting to keep reading. What is the addiction?

Powered By Greymatter

home sitemap